


Once Bitten, Twice Shy

by windsweptfic



Series: the duality of human nature [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Backstory, Child Neglect, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Low Chaos (Dishonored), early Whaler days, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windsweptfic/pseuds/windsweptfic
Summary: New rule: Never accept contracts during Fugue.





	Once Bitten, Twice Shy

**Author's Note:**

> Now available in [Russian](https://ficbook.net/readfic/7075797)!

**Fugue Feast, 1821**

Daud stared at the two empty beds before him with a growing sense of displeasure.

The two _small_ empty beds.

"Rulfio," he said evenly.

Said assassin cleared his throat, slinking forward to stand at Daud's side. The whaling masks his men hadrecently started wearing to hide their identities generally worked to conceal emotions as well, but the way Rulfio fidgeted was damning on its own.

"What," Daud asked, "Was the contract?"

"To burn the house to the ground, tonight," Rulfio replied. "Make it look like an accident. No survivors."

Daud felt a muscle tic in his jaw.

"And were children specified being present?"

Rulfio shifted uncomfortably.

"Well..."

Daud turned to glare at his second-in-command, hearing Fergus and Devon shuffling their feet behind him.

"You didn't even ask, did you," he said flatly.

"It's not like I thought they wanted us to kill kids!" Rulfio protested weakly, waving his hands. "Who the fuck _does_ that?"

" _Damn it,_ Rulf--"

Daud scrubbed a gloved hand over his face irritably. Outsider's eyes, he hated accepting contracts during Fugue Feast. 

The clients who requested that the contracts take _place_ during Fugue were tolerable, but the ones who wanted immediate results were more trouble than they were worth. They liked to think that because they made the request _on_ Fugue they weren't beholden to the Abbey's moral doctrines, slipping through the loophole that so long as the entire thing was done by the time the new year started, they were absolved of guilt. 

Which was true, technically. But it made for rushed jobs with little to no research beforehand, targets that were pointed out and dispatched without much thought. Usually, Daud handled the clients himself.

Clearly he should have kept with that habit.

"We're not going to fulfill the contract, right?" Devon asked hesitantly, sidling up behind Rulfio. She was doing a rather poor job of keeping the concern out of her voice; Daud recalled that she'd had a kid brother before he'd found her on the streets.

"Why not?" Fergus said. He sounded more bemused than anything. "It's just kids. They aren't special."

"No, we are not going to kill the kids," Daud replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. " _Void_ , Fergus."

The problem was, they'd already dispatched the others they'd found in the house. There had been two nobles--presumably the parents, both passed out from liquor in the sitting room, their throats slit quick and quiet in their sleep--and a servant who had the misfortune of living on the premises. There hadn't been any sign of others who might reside there until Daud had come across what was obviously a children's bedroom.

He might have hoped that the kids were out, somewhere safe elsewhere during Fugue, but Daud didn't believe in deluding himself.

"Find them and sedate them," he sighed after a moment. "I'll come up with something. We already completed most of the contract anyway, it isn't as though we can back out now. Even _if_ my idiot contact didn't get all of the details."

"I said I was sorry," Rulfio muttered.

"You didn't, actually," Daud replied evenly. When Rulfio opened his mouth to do so he just cut his hand through the air, forestalling the apology. "Devon, go set up the burn path, make sure it hits every room. Fergus, sweep the house for any valuables that wouldn't be missed if they were destroyed in a house fire. Rulf--search the grounds for the kids. I'll look through the rest of the manor."

All three of them offered him quick bows before heading to their assigned tasks, Rulfio and Devon transversing away while Fergus went to rummage through one of the desks.

Daud sighed again, pulled the Void into his eyes, and left to search the rest of the house.

The manor was lavish enough, typical of a home in the Estate District and lacking any kind of distinction of its owners. Rulfio had only come back from meeting the client with an address; with other contracts already waiting to be attended to, Daud hadn't bothered with delving further.

A stupid mistake--and one he planned to never make again.

He finally came across a portrait of the family, hanging over a fireplace in the dining hall: depicting the couple he'd already dispatched standing behind a pair of young boys. He walked over to examine the nameplate below the painting, frowning when he read it.

_The Elder Brimsley Family._

Daud's mouth twisted in distaste. Their client had been Mace Brimsley.

Void, he hated nobles and their scheming. 

The older Brimsley heir was typical of Dunwall aristocracy: dark-haired, dark-eyed, thin-featured. His wife seemed to at least have some bit of Morleyan ancestry, with soft hazel eyes and long blonde hair--and it was her that the boys seemed to take after. They were twins: blond, cherubic mirrors of each other as they stood stiff and formal in front of their parents, hands clasped together between them.

Daud blinked as Fergus reached past him to dig a knife along the edge of the frame. He lifted an eyebrow as the younger assassin neatly cut the canvas from its backing, rolling it up before stuffing it into an already-laden sack.

Fergus caught his eye and shrugged. 

"It's no Sokolov, but it'll probably still fetch a decent amount of coin."

Daud tilted his head in acknowledgement, but Fergus was already moving on, snagging a pair ofornately carved candlesticks that would otherwise just be destroyed in the fire that they planned on starting.

Honestly, had they really been expected to set fire to the house and _leave_? Maybe hang around just long enough to make sure no one escaped the flames? The idea of leaving things that much up to chance made Daud twitch even thinking about it. Better to make sure everyone was dead _before_ setting a fire that would call the attention of everyone within the Estate District.

He shook his head and continued on through the house.

It wasn't until he reached the kitchen that Daud finally spotted his quarry: two small forms huddled down in the wine cellar, visible through the floor. He made his way down the staircase on silent feet, transversing through the cracked-open doorway to avoid making any sound. 

He reappeared in a whisper of darkness inside the dimly-lit basement, tucked behind a stack of barrels, and paused when he picked up the sound of low whispering.

"Connor, please--you gotta leave, they're gonna find out--"

Muffled and desperate, the boy's words were cut off by his twin's firm voice.

"They're drunk stupid on whiskey and I gave the cook mother's jade earrings to keep him quiet. We'll be fine, just eat. I'll take the plate back up in a bit."

Daud slipped out from behind the barrels, something unpleasant knotting in the pit of his stomach when he caught sight of the boys. 

One was on his belly in front of a heavy door that had been locked from the outside, shoving a plate toward a slot in the bottom. As Daud watched, a small hand reached through the opening to pull the food inside, disappearing for only a moment before returning: reaching out to clasp his brother's hand in a white-knuckled grip. Through the Void, he could see that the room beyond was little more than a storage closet, a small bed and a bucket the only things present aside from the small figure huddled on the other side of the door.

The small, scrawny figure who wiped at his face in between bites of food, whatever tears were on his cheeks barely showing in his voice.

"It's--it's good, Conn. Thank you."

Connor's free hand balled up into a fist.

"Don't fucking _thank_ me," he hissed, shoulders trembling in barely-contained fury. "That isn't something that you-- Just-- Just _don't_."

Daud scraped his foot across the floor.

Connor instantly let go of his brother's hand, leaping to his feet, and the sheer _terror_ on his face made something in Daud's chest ache. Before Connor even realized who was there, the boy had shifted his body in front of the door, staring at Daud with huge eyes as his twin scrambled to his feet in the room beyond. 

Neither of them made a sound, the cellar falling into suffocating silence, and Daud wondered how many times they'd been caught like this in the past.

He let the Void bleed from his vision as Connor's features twisted in confusion. 

"You're not..."

The boy's gaze darted to the sword at Daud's hip, to the whaling mask tucked into his belt. Fear chased the understanding in his eyes, but when realization seemed to dawn, there was none of the dread that Daud had expected.

"You're here to kill us," Connor said softly. 

Daud tilted his head to one side.

"Yes," he admitted. 

"Are _they_ dead?" Connor demanded, low and intent.

Daud blinked.

"Your parents? Yes."

" _Good_ ," the boy spat. His hazel eyes glittered, full of fury and darkly triumphant, and for just a moment Daud remembered being a child of similar age, staring into a mirror after killing the men who had taken him from his home.

A small tap on the door made them both pause.

"Connor?" the other twin called tensely, voice muffled through the door. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

Connor cast an agonized glance at the locked room before looking back at Daud, naked pleading in his eyes.

"Before-- Can you--" the boy ducked his head, hands curling into fists at his sides. "Please, let me see him first. Let me be with him when you... _Please_."

Had Daud been able to process any emotion at that moment other than rage, he might have thought to explain to the child that, no, he wasn't going to kill them. But he didn't trust himself to speak without snarling, so he just nodded and stepped forward, pulling a small kit from his belt. Connor stayed in his peripheral vision as he made quick work of the lock, hovering anxiously just out of reach. 

As soon as he stepped back the boy rushed forward, yanking the door open, throwing it wide to reveal his brother's startled face.

"Thomas--"

Daud had known the boys were twins, but they looked nothing alike in that moment. One was clean-cut and hale; the other was ragged and thin. They fell into each other's arms, Connor hugging his brother tightly, as if skin-starved, and Daud wondered when the last time they saw each other was. Hazel-brown eyes looked at him over Connor's shoulder, stunned and grateful but still immeasurably wary.

Thomas Brimsley shared his twin's face, but the lines of pain and exhaustion etched into his features were all his own.

The boy managed to hold Daud's gaze for a few moments longer before dropping his eyes, turning his attention back to his brother. Connor pulled back just enough so he could get a look at his twin's face, reaching up to stroke his dirty hair, to wipe some of the grime off his cheeks. He pressed their foreheads together with a shaky half-sob.

" _Thomas_."

"I'm here," Thomas murmured, his fingers flexing against his brother's back as he clung to him tightly. He glanced back up at Daud. "Are they..."

"They're dead," Connor said viciously. 

Thomas nodded, his eyes dark and hooded.

"Good."

Daud felt a tug on the Arcane Bond; a moment later Rulfio appeared nearby in a quiet huff of air, his mask pulled up atop his head. The older assassin took a few steps forward before noticing the startled boys--and then he froze in place, horror creeping across his scarred features as he took in their state and the tiny prison cell beyond.

"Outsider's fucking cock," he breathed.

"I found them," Daud said tightly, unnecessarily, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Rulfio took one look at him before leaning warily away.

"Daud..."

"Is it done?" he demanded. Violence hummed beneath his skin, coiling all the tighter for knowing that the sources of his anger were already _gone_.

Rulfio nodded carefully.

"Devon's got the accelerants all set up, and Fergus is done sweeping the manor. We'll start the burn in the kitchen and let it work its way up through the house. All that's left is..."

He glanced over at the twins, who were speaking quietly with each other, still pressed close together. When they sensed the attention on them they looked up; after a moment Connor climbed to his feet, pulling Thomas up with him.

The boy wiped tears from his eyes as he met Daud's gaze, and the sad little smile on his face yanked painfully on the frayed strings connected to what Daud still called his heart.

"Thank you," Connor said sincerely. He glanced back at his brother, reaching down to link their small hands together. "We're--we're ready, now."

Daud expected a protest from Thomas but the boy just looked _tired_ , beaten-down but distressingly content; quietly resigned to their fate so long as his twin was there with him in his last moments.

Rulfio made a strangled noise.

"You think we're-- Outsider's eyes, kid, we're not going to _kill_ you," he choked. When the twins just blinked at him he cast Daud a frantic look. "Right?"

There was something in the older man's eyes: a wariness that Daud hadn't seen in a long time, not since he'd first started to get to know the other assassin. They'd only been working together under Daud's leadership for the past couple years, but they had known each other before then--and Daud was surprised at the twinge of hurt he felt at the near-mistrust he heard in Rulfio's voice, like he was desperately hoping not to be let down.

"No," he said firmly, and tried to ignorethe way Rulfio's shoulders sagged in relief. He looked at the twins, who stared back with wide eyes. "No, we're not going to harm you. But you do need to disappear."

"Let us go and you'll never see us again," Thomas promised fervently. "We can find our own way."

The expression on his face was so fierce, so stubbornly certain, that Daud didn't doubt for a moment that the two would be able to make it on their own.

But the world already had enough suffering children.

"Or," he countered, "You could come with us."

Thomas blinked. He exchanged a look with Connor, head tilting to one side as some form of silent communication passed between them. They turned back toward Daud as one.

"What does that involve, exactly?" Connor asked cautiously. 

"We leave enough evidence here to make it seem like the fire killed you," Daud replied. "Thomas and Connor Brimsley die tonight, and the two of you come live with me and mine. You'll be taken care of, fed and clothed, and I'll teach you how to survive. You can decide where you want to go from there."

The twins shared another look.

"It won't," Daud warned frankly, "Be an easy life."

"Can we stay together?" Connor asked bluntly. 

Daud shrugged.

"If you like."

"Then we'll go," Thomas decided. Connor nodded in agreement, tightening his grip on his brother's hand.

Daud inclined his head, hearing Rulfio let out a low, relieved breath next to him. With a twitch of his fingers he pulled on the Bond, summoning Devon and Fergus to the room.

Connor made a small, stifled sound of delight as the two appeared out of nothing with a whisper of the Void.

"Fergus," Daud ordered, "I need parts from the butcher's. Boned, small pieces, just enough to leave remnants--you know the drill."

Fergus glanced at the twins, eyebrows lifting in understanding. He pressed a fist to his chest and bowed in acknowledgement before vanishing again. Daud turned toward the other two.

"Devon, Rulfio. Take them home."

"Yessir!" 

Daud rolled his eyes at their enthusiasm--the both of them really were far too soft when it came to kids--but he watched attentively as Rulfio approached the boys.

"Afraid one of us can't take you both at the same time," the assassin said, voice kind beneath the Serkonan lilt. "We'll have to partner up. Got a preference?"

The twins exchanged a quick glance as he offered his hand; after a moment, Connor stepped forward to take it. 

It took a few seconds longer before he actually let go of Thomas'. 

Rulfio nodded cheerfully. He smiled down at Connor, eyes sparkling.

"I think you'll like this," he said conspiratorially. 

And with a hiss of displaced air, he and Connor disappeared.

Thomas inhaled sharply.

Devon stepped forward immediately, reaching out her hand so that she and Thomas could follow, but the boy just looked over at Daud, his gaze penetrating and intent.

"I swear I'll kill anyone that tries to hurt him," he said quietly.

Devon made a strangled sound behind her mask. Daud regarded the child seriously, inclining his head at the resolve he saw in his eyes.

"Then I'll teach you what you need to know to keep that promise."

Thomas studied his face for a few moments longer before nodding, satisfied. He turned back to Devon and took hold of her hand.

"I'm ready."

Once the two had transversed away, Daud let out a low breath, shook the tension out of his shoulders, and headed back up the stairs to wait for Fergus to return.

He wasn't usually a fan of arson, but he would take great pleasure in burning this place to the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so sorry thomas i swear i love you
> 
> Basically this is my headcanon for how Daud met Thomas, and also a headcanon to explain how multiple Whalers sound _really frickin similar_. (Like I'm pretty sure the Whaler that tells you Thomas is back is actually Thomas??) Thus, twins!
> 
> I've seen noble!Thomas floating around in fandom and _I love it_ , here let me throw my hat into the ring too. Also I may add additional chapters later? But consider it a complete work for now.
> 
> (btw second new rule is 'Never Let Rulfio Deal With Clients')
> 
> EDIT: also, if anyone wants to use this backstory and/or Connor for writing Thomas, please feel free! I am totes down with it. :D


End file.
